Ghosts
by Asirus
Summary: Juliet Shepard has been brought back to life, given a second chance to save the galaxy... again ; but she's not the only one given a second chance because of her resurrection.
1. Sleepless

_Juliet Shepard, Vanguard, Spacer/Sole Survivor, Full Paragon (in ME1 anyway) _

_Yeah I know that the new Normandy doesn't HAVE a co-pilots chair. _

_I decided to take a slightly different tack then with my Dragon Age fics. My absolute favorite Shepard+Joker stories have Joker doing hilarious silent arguments with himself, often while people are talking to him. I have attempted to duplicate this, because it makes me giggle. I hope it turns out well. (I'll be keeping my alternating perspectives for now though, since I find it's easiest to tell the story I want that way)_

_Disclaimer: Bioware owns everything good._

* * *

**Shepard**

"Commander!"

Juliet Shepard heard her pilot's panicked cry as the blast threw her away from the open escape pod. She flailed wildly and managed to grab the shattered remnants of her broken ship; she thought she heard him call her name, and looked up in time to see his horrified green eyes as she hit the emergency button, causing the pod doors to slam shut and launch the pod. Shepard winced when another explosion rocked the part of the ship she clung to, throwing her free and launching her into the cold void of space.

She drifted for a moment, watching the pods shoot away and the pieces of her home fall in burning fragments to the planet below. The ship that had attacked them was gone. Juliet heard a faint hissing sound; feeling panic begin tickle the back of her mind, she realized her hardsuit was damaged. The seals had failed to activate and her precious supply of oxygen was beginning to vent into space. She thrashed around, trying to find a way to seal the break in her suit, knowing that unless she did she had three, maybe four seconds before she suffocated.

_One..._

She felt the air sucked out of her suit in a quick burst, probably further damaging the seals on its way out. A chill settled along her spine as Shepard exhaled slowly, stubbornly clinging to life.

_Two..._

She saved them. She knew that much. Not all of them, mind you. Some were lost in the initial attack, and probably some of the escape pods were struck by flying debris, killing their passengers. But Ash would have gotten most of them out...

_Three..._

Shepard was out of time, and she knew it. A tear slid down her face, her blue eyes staring down at the nearby planet as she spun gently in space. Her ship was gone, but her crew would be ok, for the most part. She hoped they'd be able to stop the Reapers without her.

_Four..._

Juliet felt her heart slow, and her eyes turned from the planet and scanned the stars, hoping for one last glimpse of the escape pods. She knew she wouldn't see them. Shepard thought briefly about the pilot she had apparently died to save. Joker always seemed to know just what to say when she was upset or angry, always ready with an ear or a joke. Shepard remembered his bright green eyes as she had launched his escape pod... She wished she could have said goodbye, but she had no regrets. And then she died, gasping for air that was long gone, her lungs screaming for oxygen as her vision went black, her eyes drifting closed...

_...two years, thirteen days and seven hours later_

Commander Juliet Shepard, N7 vanguard of the Systems Alliance, first human Spectre of the Citadel Council and Savior of the Galaxy lay on top of the sheets in her rather large bed on the Normandy SR-2 with one arm tossed carelessly over her eyes. Her long, glossy black hair, loose from it's normal bun, was spread around her head on the pillow like a halo. She was in the captains quarters of the Cerberus built frigate, a room the fitting yard workers had apparently called 'the loft'. Exotic alien fish swam gracefully in the massive aquarium that took up much of one wall and a battered red and black N7 helmet sat on the desk next to the bed. The lighting in the loft was dim, most of the illumination coming from the aquarium in the form of a cool blue glow. A low couch sat against the large glass display case that served as a sort of wall between the bed and the small office, housing a desk, shelves and a private terminal. There was a single ship model, the SSV Normandy SR-1, in the case.

Despite the rather comfortable accommodations, Shepard was tense. She did not like it here, on this ship. She missed the original Normandy. This ship, though similar in many ways to her old ship, felt wrong. Perhaps it was the Cerberus symbol emblazoned on the walls every few feet. Shepard made a fist as she thought about the organization that had given her this ship, that had brought her back to life. _Cerberus. _Even just thinking the name sent her thoughts racing back to the rachni, thorian creepers, Admiral Kahoku... Toombs. Akuze. There was a brief flare of purple-blue light as the Commander fought back her anger, biting down on her tongue to avoid a biotic outburst. She was still having trouble with her new L5 implants. Extreme emotions tended to cause... flare ups.

Shepard sighed and dragged herself out of bed. Clearly she was not going to be getting any sleep. Not that she welcomed sleep. With sleep came the nightmares. They varied slightly from night to night... sometimes it would be Akuze, or the Prothean visions. Sometimes she'd dream of Virmire, and what it had felt like to leave Kaidan to die. Lately, she'd dreamt mostly about what it felt like to die, to suffocate, knowing help would never reach her in time and that everyone she cared about would have to deal with the Reapers without her. She jerked open the small closet and pulled on some casual clothes; fitted dark grey leggings and a long black t-shirt. She decided to forgo her usual boots. It's not as if she was military anymore, after all... When she had first arrived, all that was in the closet was a handful of Cerberus uniforms. She had immediately ordered new clothes. She would NOT wear anything with their symbol on it.

"EDI, what time is it?" A blue glowing ball appeared near the door. "It is 0413 Commander. Is there anything else?" Shepard stared at the AI for a moment then shook her head. "No, that will be all." "Very well Commander, logging you out."

Shepard ducked into the small bathroom, splashing a handful of cold water on her face and pushing her hair behind her ears with an impatient movement. She thought of tying it back, but decided against it. She stared at her reflection in the small mirror, trying to see a hint of herself there. Gone were the faint lines around her eyes, her pale skin looking fresh and new like she was in her early twenties again. Unfortunately, her familiar scars were gone as well. The faint line that once marked her lower lip, a memento from Akuze, was gone. The thin, perfectly straight scar that used to grace the side of her face, a token from Sovereign, was replaced by a strange pattern of faintly glowing red lines on her cheeks. Shepard found herself missing her old scars, hating the new ones with their unsettling glow. They made her feel less then human. She scowled at her reflection and decided to get out of here. Perhaps a walk around the ship would do her some good.

She slipped out of her quarters and entered the elevator, absently hitting the button for the CIC. Maybe she'd go hang out on the bridge for awhile. She figured Joker was probably catching a few hours of sleep, but she could watch as the autopilot moved them closer and closer to the Sahrabarik System. They were heading for a station called Omega, where Shepard had reluctantly agreed to recruit some new squad members. The Illusive Man had given her several dossiers, and there were three potential recruits on the station. She stepped of the elevator, a faint flare of biotic energy pulsing along her skin as she considered the head of the Cerberus organization. Shepard pushed the thoughts aside and walked quietly around the galaxy map and the massive holographic representation of the Normandy towards the bridge, her bare feet silent on the slightly textured floor.

It was empty, as she had assumed it would be, but she slipped into the co-pilots chair anyway, her hands automatically hitting the button to open the shutters and pull up the terminal there. She stared out at the stars for a moment, then turned back to the terminal and pulled up the dossiers, figuring she could spend a few hours reading up on the people she was supposed to recruit.

She read through the file on Archangel, noting that there was extremely limited information available on him. It seemed the turian arrived on Omega several months ago and had orchestrated several high profile, tactically brilliant attacks on the gangs there. She turned to the second file, the one both EDI and Miranda suggested she recruit first. "Hmm... The Professor..."

* * *

**Joker**

Joker limped back towards the bridge, walking slowly past the giant holographic representation of the Normandy, feeling slightly distracted. As much as he liked the new Normandy, he missed the old one sometimes. Like now, when the walk from the showers to the bridge stretched on forever. He supposed he should be getting some sleep, but he was damned if he was going to let that bloody AI take things over because he was tired. Who cares if the thing said it couldn't access those parts of the ship.

He stepped into the cockpit, his green eyes immediately drawn to the co-pilots chair, which was unexpectedly occupied by Commander Shepard. Joker froze. He hadn't talked to the Commander much since... well, since she came back to life, and now there she was, sitting on his bridge going over dossiers. He noticed her casual attire and felt his heart speed up a little. He'd always had a little crush on the Commander, ever since the first time she came up behind him on the first Normandy, but he'd never seen her out of uniform. She was wearing a loose black t-shirt and snug grey leggings, one leg hanging over the arm of the chair.

_Shit. Where are her shoes?_

_Who cares? Would you look at those legs? If I were you, and I am, I'd be wondering what those would feel like, wrapped-  
_

_That is hardly appropriate. Is her hair down? It's longer then I thought. And shiny._

_I bet it's soft. How long did you think it was?_

_I dunno... not that long._

_Shouldn't you be more concerned with what she is doing here? And how long you've been standing there gaping like an idiot?_

_Shut up shut up!_

_Uh huh, you just told your own subconscious to shut up. Brilliant._

Joker flinched out of his internal dialogue when he heard her speak, her voice low.

"Hmm... The Professor..."

Jerking into motion, he quipped, "Talking to yourself Commander? That's a sure sign of crazy you know." He moved forward, watching from the corner of his eye as she started and turned to watch him slide into his chair. Feeling nervous under her scrutiny but doing his best to maintain his normal demeanor, his hands moved automatically across the console, pulling up specs on their travel so far. He saw her lean back into her chair, her large blue eyes drifting to the window as she said, "If anyone has a right to being a little crazy now and then, it's me."

The pilot glanced at her, slightly surprised at her informal tone. Even back on the SR-1, she'd always held on to her _Commander Shepard _mask, even when chatting with the crew. Now, she looked a little sad as she stared out the narrow windows. He found himself staring at her again, taking in the weary slouch, so different from her usually perfect military posture. He noted the faint glowing pattern on her cheek and frowned. Those weren't **her **scars, from Akuze, Ilos or the Battle of the Citadel. Those were gone, replaced by a strange pattern of glowing scars on both cheeks. They were a little creepy. He'd overheard Chakwas telling her they'd disappear on their own if she could maintain a peaceful state of mind. Something about the nano-cybernetic-whatevers reacting to her emotional state.

_She looks tired. And sad..._

_Jesus man, say something. You're staring again. She's beautiful, but if she catches you staring she'll break your legs._

_Shit. What do I say? What can I say?_

_I dunno, but stop goddamn staring. Or, I dunno. __**Say something.**_

_Good idea._

Joker closed his eyes briefly, then cleared his throat, opening his mouth to say what had been central in his mind for two years. "Hey.. uh..." Joker faltered slightly when she turned to meet his gaze, her normally bright blue eyes looking tired. "Look, I just wanted to say that... that I'm sorry. You know... for what happened on the old Normandy. It was my fault..." He trailed off and dropped his gaze, turning to face his console, his hand moving up to rub the back of his neck. Silence stretched out between them and he heard her stand.

_Oh good job.  
_

_Well what else was I supposed to say? I had to apologize some time..._

_Yeah, but she's clearly tired and now you just reminded her of that time she __**died.**_

_Ugh._

_Yeah, that's right. _

And then suddenly she was right next to him, leaning over slightly with her hand resting on his arm. Joker blinked in surprise and looked up at her, finding her standing there with her large blue eyes on him. He realized that he'd never actually been this close to her, except for when she was saving his ass on the old Normandy. He hadn't noticed it then, because of his mask and her hardsuit, but she smelled sort of like vanilla and spices. She ventured a brief smile, her fingers warm against his skin, and her voice dropped lower then usual, almost a whisper as she said, "Don't apologize, Jeff. It wasn't your fault and..."

He tensed slightly. She had never used his real name before, just calling him Joker like everyone else. She paused, probably noticing the tension, her eyes flickering slightly as if she was coming to a decision. Then she leaned over, glossy black hair spilling across her shoulder, and brushed her lips against his cheek, murmuring, "And I don't regret a thing." Shepard smiled again, warmth evident in her weary eyes. Putting on a feigned-serious face, she said, "Now get some sleep, Flight Lieutenant. " With that, she turned and padded quietly down the long corridor to the elevator. Joker spun in his chair, watching her go. He had one hand on his cheek and his eyes were probably ridiculously wide, so he was glad she didn't turn around at any point to see him staring after her in such a position.

_She kissed you._

_It was just on the cheek, it didn't mean anything._

_Then close your mouth. Dude, she just kissed you._

_Yeah, but it was just a... you know, 'don't worry about it' thing. Right?_

_What if it wasn't? She called you Jeff. She never calls you Jeff.  
_

_It definitely was. She's Commander Shepard for god's sake, she could have anyone she wanted, she's not into a cripple like me._

_Yeah, you're probably right._

_Thanks._

_Hey, you said it. I'm just agreeing.  
_

* * *

_tee hee. Writing Joker makes me giggle._


	2. Archangel

_Sorry if this one is a little jumpy. I wanted to get several perspectives for the debriefing._

_So my computer got hit by something calling itself "XP Antivirus 2010" the other day. Changed my registry files and disabled my antivirus software. Took me two days to dig it all out. :(_

_Luckily, the computer downtime gave me the chance to finish one of my DA:Origins stories and do this chapter, chapter 3, and part of chapter 4... so... yay?  
_

_Disclaimer: Bioware owns everything good._

* * *

**Joker**

Joker was seated at his console, absently flicking through diagnostics while he waited for the shore party to get back from Omega. They had already recruited Doctor Solus, and Zaeed they found just a few steps outside the airlock; next was the mysterious 'Archangel'.

_I wonder if they know how boring it is on the ship when they're off shooting the place up..._

_Probably not. You should tell the Commander about it. Maybe she'll kiss you again._

_Shutup she's not going to kiss me again._

_No, but she smells really good. Maybe you could get a hug?_

_What if I don't want a hug?_

_You totally want a hug, who do you think you are fooling?_

The pilot jerked out of his reverie when Miranda's cool voice echoed through the comm.

"Lieutenant, we need the shuttle down here right away." Joker's eyes widened when he heard Shepard in the background, an unfamiliar note of panic in her normally calm voice. _"Hold on... come on Garrus don't you die on me..." _There was a ragged, watery gasp, and Miranda continued, "And tell Doctor Chakwas to be on it." The comm cut out as Zaeed said, _"He's not going to make it."_

_Shit shit._

Joker's hands flew across the console, activating comms to both the laboratory and the med-bay. "Doctor Chakwas, Doctor Solus, we need you on the shuttle_ right now_." He sent the coordinates of Shepard's team to the shuttle-bay, then stared at his screens. The pilot watched as the shuttle took off about a minute and a half after the call was sent... Now all he could do was wait.

_Shit. So Archangel is Garrus. That seems like an unlikely coincidence._

_Shepard is going to set the Illusive Man on fire or something if she ever gets him in person..._

_She sounded stressed. _

_Well they were close before._

_Yeah... she took him on every mission. Trusted him more then anyone else on the crew._

_What if he doesn't make it? Zaeed said..._

_Who cares what some stupid merc said? Garrus is tough, he'll make it._

_But what if he doesn't? I don't know if the Commander could..._

_What? Handle it? It's Commander Shepard you're talking about._

_So? She's only human, and a lot has happened..._

Joker saw that the shuttle was docking and instinctively flipped on the comm, trying to get a grip on the situation. He winced when he heard a watery flanging noise, laced with pain. _That'll be Garrus. Shit. _There was yelling, and he tried to sort out the voices. Doctor Chakwas raised herself above the din, "Get those elevator doors open, we need to operate immediately!" _That can't be good..._ He turned off the comm, almost afraid to hear Shepard's voice again, colored with panic as she watched her friend die.

The pilot stared out the window, wishing there was something he could do... and then he heard footsteps behind him. He turned in time to see Commander Shepard step up behind him, her hands hanging at her sides. Joker winced when he noticed her bare hands and most of her black and red armor was covered in blue turian blood, turning the red parts a sickly purple; he looked up at her, taking in the slightly glazed look in her blue eyes as she stared out the window.

"Hey, Commander..." Her gaze snapped down to meet his, and Joker opened his mouth to say something, anything, to comfort his CO when she whispered, "I should have gone for him first. Mordin could have waited." Joker blinked. _Shit._

* * *

**Shepard**

Commander Shepard stared at the pilot, her mind fixed on her turian friend dying down in the med-bay. The medical team had kicked everyone out, and so Shepard had found herself automatically turning towards the bridge. She flinched when Joker spoke, "What? No, look, Commander, you couldn't have known. It's not your fault.."

She cut him off, "It **is **my fault. I knew Archangel was in trouble. I took Cerberus advice and got the Doctor first anyway. It's my fault." Shepard glanced down at her hands and winced, seeing Garrus' blood on them. She closed her eyes and turned to walk away, her mind barely registering it as Joker pulled himself out of his seat with surprising speed and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back a little. She tugged half-heartedly in an attempt to pull free and was absently surprised at the strength of his grip. She looked up at him, the back of her mind noting that he was actually a few inches taller then her. His green eyes held some emotion she could not place, and the Commander felt a faint twinge in her chest.

* * *

**Joker**

Joker stared at Shepard, swallowing hard when she finally met his eyes; her normally bright blue eyes were clouded with pain, and for a moment, the pilot wasn't sure what to say.

"Look Commander... Shepard... Everything is going to be alright. It's really not your fault, and Garrus will be the first to tell you so as soon as he's back on his feet." He shifted his grip on her wrist so he could clasp her hand in what he hoped was a comforting manner. The normally cocky pilot was feeling a little out of his depth. He felt her fingers tighten slightly around his as her eyes dropped. She whispered, "I hope you're right. I've got to... go... Need a shower..." Shepard took a half-step backwards, her fingers trailing out of his hand, and then she turned on her heel and walked slowly down to the elevator. Joker dropped carefully back into his chair, frowning. He flipped on the comm to the mess area - since he couldn't eavesdrop on medical - hoping to find out as soon as possible if Garrus was going to make it.

_You know, if Garrus doesn't make it, she'll hate you for giving her false hope._

_Yeah, right. Cause she looked real hopeful just now._

_Garrus better make it. She needs more people she knows she can trust on this ship._

_What, me and Chakwas aren't enough?_

_Definately not. Neither one of you can watch her back when she leaves the ship._

_Shit._

* * *

**Shepard**

Juliet stripped out of her armor, dumping it carelessly into the cleaning bin next to her cabin door; her movements were vaguely robotic, as if she was running on autopilot. All she could see was the glazed expression in her best friends eyes as his lungs filled with blood, all she could hear was the ragged, watery gasp as he struggled for air, his hand clutching instinctively around the barrel of his rifle; all because she hadn't gotten there fast enough. _My fault. _Shepard stepped into the bathroom, hitting the button for the shower and stepping under the spray, her eyes on her hands. She felt tears spring up in her eyes and run down her face as the water turned blue at her feet. _His blood on my hands. Goddamnit. _Shepard leaned heavily against the tiled wall, the hot water stripping the blood and sweat off her, and closed her eyes, ignoring the flares of purple-blue light jumping off her skin.

_...several hours later_

Shepard, dressed in a set of crisp Alliance-style fatigues, was doing her rounds, checking in on the crew, chatting with Ken and Gabby down in engineering... anything to keep her mind off what might be going on in the med bay. She was leaning against the wall of the elevator, thinking of looking around the armory - again - when EDI popped up and said, "Mister Taylor would like to see you in the communications room, Commander."

The Commander stiffened, knowing the man probably had news on Garrus, and muttered, "Thank you EDI, tell him I'll be there shortly." The glowing blue ball disappeared as the elevator slowly came to a halt on deck two. Shepard squared her shoulders and made her way into the communications room, absently returning Kelly's cheerful greeting as she passed. The door shut with a swish and she made her way to the opposite side of the table from the former Alliance soldier, bracing her hands on the table as she stared at him. She felt a twinge of amusement when she heard the faint hum of a comm channel being activated. _Nosey, Joker. Real nosey._

* * *

**Jacob**

Jacob came to attention when Commander Shepard stepped into the briefing room, her eyes guarded. She stood somewhat stiffly on the other side of the table, her hands gripping the edge of the table as if bracing for an attack; Jacob didn't blame her, she was clearly expecting the worst possible news about the new recruit.

"Commander... We've done what we can for Vakarian, but he took a bad hit." She dropped her eyes to the table, and he glanced down at her hands, shifting his weight uncomfortably when he noted the faint biotic pulse along her skin. _Damn, the new L5s are still giving her trouble... _

Clearing his throat, he continued, "Chakwas and Solus have repaired what they could with surgery and some cybernetics, and they think he'll be able to regain full functionality, but..."

* * *

**Joker**

Joker stiffened in his chair when he heard the unmistakable sound of the med-bay doors opening, the fast talking salarian doctor coming in clearly over the comm. "Be careful, still in recovery. Must report to medical if experiencing complications from implants."

And then, impatience evident in his tone, came the familiar voice of Shepard's favorite turian. "Yes yes Doctor, I feel fine. Where's Shepard?" Grinning widely, Joker suppressed the urge to cheer out loud and glanced at his console, noting Shepard's location and immediately switching the open channel to the communications room.

* * *

**Shepard**

Juliet stared down at her hands, white-knuckled on the edge of the table and giving off a faint blue-purple glow, and braced herself for whatever Jacob was going to say next. The man cleared his throat, the said, "Chakwas and Solus have repaired what they could with surgery and some cybernetics, and they think he'll be able to regain full functionality, but..."

The door swished open and both humans turned to look. Shepard felt shock coursing through her system when she saw Garrus standing there easily, his left mandible flicking briefly.

She barely heard Jacob speak, and then he was saluting and leaving the room. Garrus grinned that odd turian grin and said, "Nobody would give me a mirror. How bad is it?" He gestured to his right side, where his face was a mass of raw scar tissue and bandages, and his sapphire and black armor was scorched, chunks of it missing.

Breaking out in a wide smile when she realized she wasn't having some sort of hallucination, Shepard chuckled and said, "Hell Garrus, you were always ugly. Slap some face paint on there and no one will even notice." Garrus started to laugh, then winced, saying "Ooo. Don't make me laugh, my face is barely holding together as it is." Stepping forward with a smirk in his voice, he murmured, "You know, some women find facial scars attractive. Mind you, most of those women are krogan."

She laughed and impulsively threw her arms around his waist, unable to resist the urge to hug her friend now that he was clearly going to live. He hesitated briefly, then returned the gesture.

* * *

**Garrus**

Garrus stalked through the ship towards the briefing room, noting the unsettling similarities between this ship and the old Normandy. His hawk-like blue eyes took in the Cerberus symbol emblazoned on the walls, his mandibles tight against his jaw in irritation. He stepped up to the briefing room door, which opened with a swish, hearing, "...regain full functionality, but..."

He watched with a faint sense of amusement as the two humans turned to regard the intrusion, both sets of eyes widening in surprise. Garrus noted the faint flare of blue-purple light around Shepard, shock registering on her features when she saw him standing there. The Cerberus man grinned and said, "Tough son-of-a-bitch. Didn't think he'd be up yet." Shepard didn't even glance at him when he saluted and left the room, her blue eyes wide and fixed on the turian like he was a ghost.

Once the man was gone, he broke the silence and asked, "Nobody would give me a mirror. How bad is it?" She grinned at him and shifted her weight to one leg, saying, "Hell Garrus, you were always ugly. Slap some face paint on there and no one will even notice." He started to laugh, but winced at the sharp pain in the right side of his face. "Ooo. Don't make me laugh, my face is barely holding together as it is."

He took a few steps forward, slipping easily back into the familiar pattern of behaviour left over from the original Normandy. "You know, some women find facial scars attractive. Mind you, most of those women are krogan." Shepard laughed, then moved forward with surprising speed and wrapped her arms around his waist. He was surprised, since she wasn't usually one for physical displays; he pushed the thought aside and settled his long arms around her, relieved that out of all the people in the galaxy, it was the ghost of his best friend who saved his ass.

"We thought you were dead, Shepard." She sighed and pulled back, jumping up to sit on the edge of the table. "Yeah... I know. Sorry. I **was** dead. _They_... brought me back. Took two years." Shepard shook her head, frowning, as he leaned against the table next to her. He registered the hate in her voice when she said the word _'they' _like it was some sort of curse. _Is she fidgeting?_ The Commander glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and said in a low voice, "Sorry about the gunship. It's my fault. We... went to get the salarian first." She stared down at her hands as Garrus watched her, his left mandible flaring out in surprise; the right was still stiff from the explosion.

_Is she blaming herself for the mess I got myself into? Goddamnit Shepard... _

"If we'd gotten there sooner..." Shepard trailed off, her voice a near whisper. Garrus blinked, then frowned and shifted his weight, saying, "No you don't. Don't you dare blame yourself for that mess. I got myself into it and if you hadn't shown up when you did to pull my ass out of the fire... again, I might add... I'd be dead. The gunship was not your fault."

* * *

**Joker**

Joker listened unashamedly to the conversation between Garrus and Shepard in the debriefing room, frowning when he heard the guilt in the Commander's voice. He smirked when Garrus instantly shot her down, basically telling her exactly what the pilot did a few hours ago. "The gunship wasn't your fault."

_Gunship, huh? It takes a__** gunship **__to take him down?_

_Yeah, that seems a little extreme._

_Well, it has been two years. He was a good fighter when we were after Saren, he's probably even better now..._

_Yeah but still... a __**gunship**__? For one guy?_

_It's a bit much. At least he did exactly what I said he would. I told her Garrus wouldn't blame her._

_Yeah. Maybe you'll get that hug after all._

_I don't want a hug._

_Yes, you totally do. I bet she gives great hugs._

_Garrus got a hug. I could hear it._

_That's right. And all he had to do was get blown up by a gunship._

_Yeah, I don't want a hug._

_You're fooling nobody._

Joker blinked when he realized that he had completely zoned out for the rest of their conversation. Garrus said something about heading to the forward batteries and the door swished shut behind him. Just as the pilot was about to close the comm link, he heard the Commander's voice.

"You might want to have EDI see if she can remove the hum of an open link if you're going to snoop, Joker." He froze, then grinned, glad to hear the good humor back in her voice.

"Yeah, well I just wanted to be able to say it at the first available moment, that's all." Joker paused, waiting for the question he knew she'd have to ask.

"Say what, exactly?"

He snickered, "I told you so." He was rewarded with a musical sort of laugh, causing his breath to hitch slightly; it was a sound he hadn't heard in over two years, and he hadn't realized how much he missed it. Still laughing, Shepard said, "Yes, I suppose you did." She paused briefly then said, "Set a course for the Citadel. And let me know if you hear of any trouble with Cerberus personnel and Garrus, please?"

"Sure thing, Commander." He waited until he heard her leave the briefing room, then cut the line and set a course, wondering what Shepard might need to do on the Citadel.

* * *

_There is more Shepard/Joker time in chapter 3, and it's a little smoother, plus Shepard has a naughty dream. :D I should have it up in a little bit... tomorrow at the latest._


	3. The Dream

_So... There's uh... some rather... suggestive bits. Right at the beginning (first paragraph, in italics). Nothing explicit, but I thought I should mention, just in case._

_Anyway, this one is all Shepard+Joker, since the last chapter focused more on Garrus. It's a little shorter then the last one. (Sorry.)  
_

_(Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, by "leggings" I mean like, tight-pants - google image search 'leggings'. Comfy lounge wear, good for yoga or just showing off your legs.)  
_

_Disclaimer: Bioware owns everything._

* * *

**Shepard**

_He ran his hand along her naked skin, his fingers leaving little trails of fire where he touched. She threw back her head and gasped as his lips found her throat; curling her fingers through his short brown hair, she pulled him up, her lips meeting his in a passionate kiss. She could feel the satiny smoothness of the sheets against her back, the roughness of his beard a pleasant contrast as he swept his tongue into her mouth; she whimpered faintly in the back of her throat, her legs shifting restlessly as he supported his weight above her with his surprisingly well-muscled arms. He broke off the kiss, tilting his head to one side and nibbling lightly on her earlobe as she arched against him, his left hand running back up her side; a pulse of purple-blue light dancing briefly along her skin and she gasped into his ear, her hand running across his bare chest. He chuckled, and she half opened her eyes, her lower lip between her teeth as she tried to slow her breathing. She whispered, "Shameless tease..." She moaned softly, her biotics flaring again as he trailed a line of kisses like fire down to her collarbone. "Please..." He moved back up and kissed along her jawline, murmuring, "Well, if you're going to ask so nicely..." She shifted her legs as he settled between them, his breathing unsteady; he met her gaze, his green eyes slightly hazy as he stared down at her..._

Juliet sat up with a start, her right hand flying to her throat and her blue eyes wide. The dream faded quickly, leaving her feeling restless with nothing to remember the dream but a racing heart... She noted that her sheets were tangled around her limbs as if she'd been thrashing around, and she set about detangling herself as her breathing slowed. Frowning in thought, she asked, "EDI, time?" The AI's disembodied voice echoed calmly into the loft, "It is 0325, Commander."

Sighing, knowing she'd never get back to sleep, Shepard slipped out of bed and pulled on some clothes; a pair of dark blue cropped leggings and a fitted white t-shirt. Again, she skipped shoes, knowing there would be only two or three people awake on the entire ship. She slipped into the elevator, absently pushing her hair back off her forehead as she leaned against the wall, trying to remember her dream. The Commander felt that somehow, it was important, but the details refused to come. Sighing again, Shepard padded quietly out of the elevator towards the bridge, not noticing where her feet were taking her as her mind focused entirely on the dream.

* * *

**Joker**

Joker was at his console, daydreaming and trying not to fall asleep. He'd managed to catch a nap shortly after setting a course for the Citadel, but for some reason he did not want to go to bed.

_God I'm tired._

_Go to bed then, Jesus._

_I'd rather stay here. What if something goes wrong? I couldn't exactly get back up here all that quick._

_What's going to go wrong? We've been in Council space for hours now._

_I'd just rather stay here._

_Maybe you should nap in the chair then._

_Well maybe I will._

_She's not going to show up again, you know._

_I know that, I'm not stupid._

_She's got more important things to do then stalk around her own ship in the middle of the night. Like sleep._

_Yes, thank you. I am aware._

_Then go to sleep._

_No, I think I'll stay up for a bit longer._

_Is that vanilla?_

Joker jerked out of his half-doze when he heard Shepard's startled voice behind him, "Jesus, don't you ever sleep?" He spun to face her, meeting her gaze as she slid into the co-pilots chair. He smirked, "I could ask the same of you, Commander. I could really use some rear-view mirrors on this chair, by the way. You move like a damned ghost."

* * *

**Shepard**

Shepard felt her breath hitch as she met the pilots eyes. _Green eyes_. Feeling a bit off-center but unable to pinpoint the cause, she slid into the co-pilots chair and smiled faintly when he said, "I could ask the same of you, Commander. I could really use some rear-view mirrors on this chair, by the way. You move like a damned ghost." She glanced at him, her blue eyes sparkling. "I am a ghost."

* * *

**Joker**

_God, look at her legs. They're bare from the knees down... No shoes again._

_Shut up._

_And that t-shirt. It's... just... it's all snug and stuff._

_Shut up shut up._

_Seriously, look at those legs!_

_Oh god she's talking, what did she say? What did she say?!_

Joker blinked and tried to rein in his clearly insane thoughts. Trying to hide the fact that he was oogling his CO, he grinned and said, "Yeah, I guess you are at that... Aren't you cold with no shoes on?" He turned towards his console, watching her out of the corner of his eye as he pretended to be doing something other then watching the autopilot take them to the next relay.

She twisted in the chair and draped both of her legs over the arm of the chair, her head resting against the high back. Running her fingers through her loose black hair she said, "Oh... no, not really." Her blue eyes drifted to the window and she let out a slow breath.

_God she smells good. _

_That is hardly conducive to a productive work enviroment. Maybe she should stop smelling good.  
_

_Yes, because there's no way that this is just how she smells... What work are you doing, mr. I'm-going-to-watch-the-autopilot?_

_I... I could be working. She doesn't know._

_She also doesn't know that you are insane and having conversations with yourself about her legs._

_Hey... I also think about her hair and that spicy vanilla smell she has..._

_Good point. That's less insane. She'd totally dig that._

_Oh shut up._

Feeling the need to speak, if only to silence is traitorous thoughts, he looked at her and said, "So... what brings you into my fantastically charming presence this evening, Commander? Couldn't sleep?"

Her blue eyes slid over to his and she shook her head, murmuring, "No... I had a dream. Woke me up. Usually it's just nightmares, but this was... different..." Shepard frowned and stared at him, as if puzzled by something. Shifting uncomfortably, feeling like she was going to look right into his head, he looked back at his screens and asked, "Different how?"

* * *

**Shepard**

Juliet watched Joker as his hands danced over the complex buttons at his console, considering his question. She found herself becoming entranced by the movements of his hands, faint flickers of memory teasing the back of her mind before dancing away again. She shrugged, "I'm not sure. It wasn't a nightmare though... Those are usually just.. Prothean visions, or Akuze, or..." Her voice trailed off and he turned to look at her, his green eyes curious. She cleared her throat and murmured, "Or dying." His eyes widened slightly and he turned back to his console. Joker coughed and asked, his voice low, "You mean you can... remember that? Dying I mean?"

Shepard was distracted, this time by the low tone of his voice. Again, her memory teased her, but she could not seem to grasp it. "Huh? Oh... yeah. But this dream wasn't that. It left me feeling... restless. Like I needed to get out of my cabin. But I can't seem to remember any of the details..." She sighed and leaned back, deciding to let her mind drift, hoping to bring the tantalizing dream into focus that way.

They sat in comfortable silence for awhile, Joker's hands skimming across the keypad in front of him as Shepard stared out the window.

* * *

**Joker**

After about a half-hour of surprisingly comfortable silence, Joker decided to restart the conversation and ask why they were hitting the Citadel.

"Oh, Captain... Councilor Anderson got in touch, asked me to drop by." She glanced at him, her hair falling over her forehead and shadowing one eye. "I'm hoping I can talk the Council or the Alliance into giving us a hand." Shepard left it at that. Joker knew she was itching to get help from **anyone** that wasn't Cerberus, and he wasn't about to be the one to tell her the chances of any official parties taking the threat seriously enough to step in...

Wanting to lighten the mood, Joker made a couple jokes about Mordin and Zaeed, each earning him a rather girlish giggle from the usually composed Commander. He grinned, feeling rather pleased with himself as he watched her blue eyes sparkling. She smiled at him and said, "Oh come on, I know you've got one for Garrus too. Don't hold out on me. He's fine, I'm sure he can take the beating."

_Oh, sure. Goad me into teasing your favorite person who almost died yesterday._

_She's evil._

_Yeah, but it's a good evil..._

_Ok, here goes. Please don't hit me. _

"Oh, well I was just thinking about how it's weird how I actually liked the old Garrus better. I mean, it's great he managed to get that stick out of his ass, but now it's like he just wants to beat people to death with it." Shepard's slender hand flew up to cover her mouth, muffling her laughter as she closed her eyes. Joker smirked, glad it had gone over well and that he wasn't going to have his legs broken or anything. She continued to chuckle and dropped her hand into her lap, running her fingers through her hair as she murmured, "Oh, you are a bad man."

* * *

**Shepard**

Shepard pushed her hair back off her forehead, still laughing as she said, "Oh, you are a bad man." He just smirked at her and turned back to his console. She watched him work for a few moments and found herself getting drowsy; yawning, she slipped out of the chair and said, "I think I'm going to try to get a few more hours. You should probably also give it a go, you know." He glanced at her, his green eyes bright. "Pfft, a half-hour nap and a cup of coffee and I'll still be a better pilot then anyone in the entire Alliance navy."

Shepard chuckled at his bravado and walked towards the elevator, her fingers absently trailing along his arm as she passed his chair. She glanced down as her fingers hit his shoulder and said, "Let me know when we're an hour out from the Citadel, would you please?" He just smirked again and glanced up at her, saying, "Well, if you're going to ask so nicely, I suppose I could do that."

Shepard blinked, the contents of her dream rushing to the front of her brain. Her mouth suddenly dry, she nodded and turned towards the elevator as if nothing was wrong, making sure to keep her pace even as she made good her escape.

_Shit shit. Oh god. Holy shit._

* * *

**Joker**

Joker watched her go, a faintly puzzled look on his face. He shrugged and turned back to his console, checking the ETA on the Citadel. Six hours, give or take a couple minutes. He relaxed in the chair, deciding to take the Commander's advice and get a few hours of sleep himself...

_That was really weird._

_Yeah. Did she blush? What was that for?_

_Hell if I know. But dude, she totally showed up again._

_Yeah, but it doesn't mean anything. She just couldn't sleep._

_So? She came up here instead of heading to the mess or down to see Garrus._

_It doesn't mean anything. She just had a bad dream. And Garrus is probably sleeping._

_No, she had a dream. Not a bad dream, just a dream. And then she came up here to see you._

_She did not, she wasn't even expecting me to be here._

_Where else were you going to be?_

_You have a small point. But it still doesn't mean anything._

_She even laughed at your jokes. Even the one about her best buddy Garrus._

_So? She always laughs at my jokes._

_Not like that. She giggled. __**Giggled.**_

_Ok... so you have two small points. But it still.._

_Yeah yeah, doesn't mean anything. We'll see._

* * *

_There will be more forward (relationship) progress in chapter 4, after the meeting with Anderson. Plus a fight between Shepard and.... crewmember. Yeah, I'm totally not telling._


	4. It Starts with Brandy

_Ok, so here is chapter four. It's almost entirely from Joker's point of view._

* * *

**Shepard**

Shepard was sitting at her desk, her hands idly running over her old N7 helmet - the one she died in - as she waited for the ship to arrive at the Citadel. She had originally intended to get some sleep, but when her... _highly inappropriate _dream had resurfaced in her mind, Juliet decided that she needed to think things over.

For the first hour or two, all she'd been able to do was blush and stare at her fish as she tried to banish the dream back to her subconscious; when that didn't work, Shepard went over it in a logical, almost clinical fashion. By the the time the Normandy was making it's final jump into the Serpent Nebula, the Commander had all but eliminated her brief panic and convinced herself that the dream was a one-time incident, resulting from the built-up trauma of dying and being resurrected by _Cerberus_ and then nearly losing Garrus, and the stress of having to save the galaxy._ Again. _She decided to simply put it out of her mind and not let it affect her behavior, or her attitude towards Joker. _It wasn't __**his**__ fault, after all..._

The comm in her quarters chimed to life and Joker's voice came in over the speakers, "We're about a half hour out, Commander."

"Thank you, Joker. Bring us in, I'll be down in a few minutes."

"Sure thing, Commander."

Slender fingers trailing along the helmet as she stood, Shepard went over to her locker and pulled out her armor, suiting up for her visit with Anderson and the Council.

* * *

**Joker**

Joker leaned against the wall of the elevator, his mind drifting as he headed down to the mess for a snack; it had been several hours since Shepard had gotten back from her meeting with Anderson. Unsurprisingly, all she'd gotten out of the Council was a reinstatement of her Spectre status and a hope that she would keep to the Terminus systems; aside from Councilor Anderson, nobody from the Alliance even bothered to meet with her. She had seemed pretty calm when the shore party got back on board, declaring a day of shore-leave for the crew, who immediately rejoiced and vacated the ship en masse. They were scheduled to head for Purgatory to recruit someone called Jack at 1500 the next day.

_God forbid we get some damned help saving all life in the galaxy..._

_Yeah well, it's politics. They can't admit there is a threat now without reversing their stance for the past two years._

_Fuck that, Shepard deserves better then what they're giving her. Reinstatement? Goddamn empty gesture._

_Yeah... and they told her to stay in the Terminus._

_And Anderson wouldn't even tell her where Ashley was. Classified my ass. He knows she can be trusted..._

_He doesn't trust Cerberus. Neither does Shepard, for that matter._

_What the shit, it's not like any Cerberus people were even fucking there... She brought Mordin and Garrus for gods sake._

_God, I need a drink. I wonder if Gardener has any contraband down here..._

The elevator doors opened with a faint chime and Joker limped out, his right hand absently trailing along the wall as he turned left out of the elevator. He blinked when he came around the corner, spotting Shepard standing near the wall just outside the med-bay doors, staring balefully at one of the Cerberus logos emblazoned there. She was wearing black leggings and a sapphire blue tank top with wide straps; her hair was loose and slightly mussed . She had a tall, narrow glass in her left hand, three-quarters full of some pale blue liquid, and she was swaying slightly.

_Shit, is she drunk? We **do **have contraband. I wonder if she'll share. Look at those legs... And why doesn't she ever wear shoes?_

She turned - wobbling slightly - when she heard him approach, her eyes immediately softening and a faint smile flickering around her lips. "Hey, you. I thought you'd be off-ship by now, leaving a trail of broken-hearted admirers in your wake." Joker grinned broadly at her, stopping a couple feet away. "Oh no, Commander. I only do that on Tuesdays. This is, unfortunately, a Monday. Though I will still have a few hours of leave tomorrow before we ship out, so who knows."

Shepard chuckled softly and took a sip of her drink; she was about to say something else when Miranda's icy voice interrupted. "Commander. Are you drunk on my ship?"

Blue eyes suddenly hard, the Commander turned slowly to face the Cerberus operative who was walking around the large central table in the mess; Joker closed his eyes and silently willed EDI to record the cat-fight that was sure to follow.

Her voice cold and her tone clipped, Shepard said, "Your ship? I believe you are mistaken. _This is my ship_. My crew. My mission. And if I want to drink on **my** ship, I will." A faint corona of blue-purple energy flared up as the Commander spoke, anger rising in her voice. The Cerberus woman snorted, clearly lacking any sense of self preservation, and folded her arms across her chest, her heeled foot tapping on the floor. "You're out of control, Shepard. You can't even keep your damn implants from flaring up. I did not spend two years of my life bringing you back so you could get drunk and blow yourself apart."

Shepard glared at the woman, her eyes narrowed as she shifted her stance slightly; the Cerberus woman didn't seem to notice, but Joker did and he backed up a half-step, not sure what was about to go down but not wanting any broken bones. Suddenly and without warning, Shepard flexed her legs, causing the biotic aura to billow out as she blinked across the room, her right hand snapping out to cold-cock the smug operative. The white-clothed brunette crumpled onto the table behind her, her eyes glazed and her hands covering her nose as she groaned. Shepard stood over her and snapped, "How's that for control, Cerberus _bitch_? Get your genetically engineered ass_ back_ in your office and stay there until I ask for you."

_What the shit was that?! I've never seen that move before. Or heard of it. What the shit!?_

_That. Was. Awesome. Clocked her right in her smug face. And she didn't even spill her drink._

_Her legs look really fantastic in those pants, I have to say._

_Oh shit, she's looking at you stop ogling!_

Shepard had turned and walked towards Joker, stopping a foot and a half away, a smug little smirk on her face as she swallowed the last of her drink. "How would you like to escort your commanding officer to the Citadel? I could use another drink."

Joker grinned, glancing at the empty glass in her hand. "What, all out of whatever that was? And here I was hoping you'd be willing to share."

Shepard looked down at the glass with feigned sadness. "Alas, yes. It was Serrice Ice Brandy. Chakwas and I finished it off. I'd ask her to join us, but fortunately, she passed out in the med-bay." She grinned, her eyes sparkling as she took a half-step closer, murmuring, "So? Join me for a drink?"

_Dude, say yes. Did she say fortunately or unfortunately? Doesn't matter, say yes right now. Stop staring and say yes. _

Joker smirked, "I can certainly see no reason to say no, Commander. Not with that right hook, anyway. I would recommend shoes though."

The Commander laughed softly and walked past him to the elevator, her hand touching his arm as she passed, "Meet me at the airlock in twenty then?"

"Sure thing, Commander."

_...nineteen minutes later_

Joker was standing nervously by the airlock, having changed out of his uniform into jeans and a dark green t-shirt under a black jacket, his hat still firmly in place. He shifted his weight, wondering why, of all people, the Commander wanted to go drinking with him.

_It doesn't mean anything, I was just... you know... handy. I was there. Cause the Doctor passed out._

_But what if you're wrong? You've been wrong before you know._

_This is Commander Shepard. This is not a date. She's just being friendly._

_She was never __**this **__friendly on the old Normandy. What if you're wrong?_

_Yeah well, two years can change anyone. This is totally not a date._

_It wasn't two years for her. She told you, it felt like days. Maybe weeks. Months at most._

He heard the faint chime as the elevator opened, the sound carrying in the silence of the deserted ship. Shepard stepped lightly around the large hologram of the Normandy, and Joker's breath caught in his throat, his green eyes going wide. Her hair was still down, but now it was un-mussed and glossy, trailing down to the middle of her back; she had traded the leggings for a snug pair of dark-wash jeans tucked into high-laced combat boots. Under her short black leather jacket, she was wearing a pale pink shirt and...

_Oh jesus she's got a heavy pistol on her hip. That is..._

_Really hot. Really very. That... I should breathe. I hear oxygen is awesome._

_She doesn't even look drunk anymore. Air is good you know._

The Commander paused in front of him and he finally remembered how to work his lungs. She had a faintly knowing glimmer in her blue eyes as she asked, "Ready to go?" She tapped a lockout command into the console by the door, securing the ship until they got back, and he moved to join her, saying, "Sure am, Commander." She paused, turning to him as the ship sealed behind them, her voice low when she said, "We're off duty and... I'd rather not have anyone recognize my name, so let's just drop rank, shall we? Until 1500 tomorrow, it's Juliet." He grinned as he followed her off the ship.

"If you say so, Juliet."

_...an hour later, Darkstar Lounge_

"So what was that thing to did when you knocked Miranda on her ass? I've never heard of anything like that..." Joker leaned back in the small booth he shared with Shepard, his right hand curled around the earth beer he had ordered.

Immediately upon arriving at the bar, the Commander had ordered them both a shot of some unidentified green liquid; the turian bartender had seemed familiar with Shepard, and had only snickered when she ordered 'two shots of that green shit'. After his throat stopped burning and he was able to see again, the pilot had ordered a tamer human drink as the Commander chuckled, ordering some sort of fruity mixed drink for herself.

Juliet was leaning forward against the table, both of her slender hands wrapped around the tall slender glass that was still mostly full of a blue-green liquid. It had a straw and a little slice of a purplish fruit on the edge of the glass.

"That? It's... hard to explain. It's new... discovered it when we were trying to get Garrus out of Omega." She frowned, her blue eyes fixed on the pilot as she spoke. "It's like... a charge. A biotically induced charge. The boost I get from the new implants lets me use my biotics to launch myself forward like that. Zaeed said it was too fast for him to even follow when I did it that first time..." She shrugged, a smirk playing about her lips. "I don't know if you saw it, but from my position, the shocked expression in Miranda's eyes when I was suddenly right in front of her was goddamn priceless."

Joker snickered, sipping his drink. "I didn't see that. I was more focused on the amusing way she fell over and clutched at her broken face, groaning like you hit her with a club or something."

The pair shared a laugh and lapsed into silence, absently watching the bar patrons as they sipped their drinks.

_Dude, this totally feels like a date._

_It's not a date. She's not interested in me that way._

_What if she is? Look what she changed into. You could just ask, maybe?_

_I'm not going to ask, she'll just laugh at me._

_Well you could kiss her then._

_Yeah, cause I really need half the bones in my face broken._

_What do you mean, 'half'? If she hits you it'll definitely be your whole face.  
_

Clearing his throat, he asked, "So, did you ever remember what that dream was last night?" To his surprise, she blushed slightly and looked down at her glass. She took a slow sip, draining a quarter of her drink, before answering, "Oh. Yes, as a matter of fact I did." She paused, a faintly mischievous look on her face when she looked up and met his gaze. "Ask me once I've got a few more drinks in me and I might even tell you about it."

Joker raised an eyebrow, smirking. In a seemingly miraculous feat of timing, an asari waitress came over and asked if they'd like to order anything. Shepard snickered at his look and asked for two more shots of 'that green stuff, the bartender will know what you mean,' and a menu.

When the waitress left, Joker leaned forward and asked in tone of mock-outrage, "Why, Juliet, are you trying to get me drunk?" She laughed, and shook her head. "Absolutely not. I'm trying to get myself drunk." She eyed him and bit her lower lip, looking faintly impish as she murmured, "If you'd like to come along for the ride, however, I'm certainly not going to stop you."

_Holy shit, she's totally flirting with you._

_What? No she's not. She's teasing. That's what she does. She teases everyone. Except for Cerberus people._

_Uh huh. Just don't kill too many braincells in the journey to find out how you're wrong and she's totally flirting with you._

They sat chatting and telling jokes for another hour or so, eating the snacks Shepard ordered as the collection of shot glasses on the side of their table grew steadily larger. As he got more alcohol in his system, Joker grew more and more convinced that this was, in fact, a date.

_Dude, she just touched your arm again. And she giggled._

_I... it's just the alcohol?_

_Shit man, you act like you've never been flirted with before. Sure, it's not as common as you tell everyone, but you've __**seen **__it before._

_Maybe..._

_No goddamn maybe about it. She's hitting on you. Do not chicken out. __**Do not chicken out.**_

Shepard glanced at her omni-tool, her eyes widening when she noticed the time. Joker realized they had been sitting in the bar for almost five hours. She looked up, smiling as she said, "We'd better head back if we want to recover sometime before we ship out again. I only say this because one of us is going to have to fly the old girl."

Joker grinned widely as he slipped carefully out of the booth, saying, "Hell, even with all that green shit you kept ordering I can still make her dance for you."

She made a face at him, her lips twitching as she fought back a laugh, and he chuckled; Shepard slid out of the booth as he came around the table, stumbling slightly. Joker reached out reflexively to steady her, noticing when she looked up how close she was. A faint blush colored her cheeks as she looked up at him; he hadn't noticed before, but there were little gold flecks in her eyes. The stood frozen for a moment before Joker cleared his throat and backed up, his hand still on her arm in case she stumbled again.

Shepard chuckled and hooked her arm around his, gesturing with her free hand to the door. As they left the bar arm-in-arm, he thought he heard her whisper, _"Chicken."_

_...twenty minutes later, elevator to docking bay_

They were in the glass sided elevator that led up to the Normandy's dock, leaning against opposite walls. They had been silent since the bar, and Joker knew there was at least another three minutes of faint elevator music in his future; he couldn't seem to take his eyes off Juliet, who was leaning on her side, gazing out the window and chewing on her lower lip. He blinked when she whispered, "Jeff?"

"Yes?" His heart was pounding in his chest as he stared at her. She paused, her fingers playing with one of the buttons on her jacket, then turned towards him, her blue eyes wide. "Are you ever going to make a move, or do I have to do everything?" Joker stared at her for about a half a second and slowly made his way across the rather large elevator, his eyes fixed on hers; he stopped a few inches away, his hand moving up to touch her cheek as he stared down at her. She stared up at him, her blue eyes darkening slightly as she turned her body towards him.

_Don't chicken out again man... Just kiss her. Stop thinking about it and just __**do it **__already!_

Throwing out his reservations, he leaned down, his lips pressing lightly against hers as he brushed her hair behind her ear, his fingers curled around the glossy locks; she made a faint sound in the back of her throat, her hands coming up to grab the front of his jacket as she pulled him closer. She sighed again, her lips parting slightly, and he seized upon the invitation, his tongue sweeping into her mouth as he deepened the kiss. She trembled against him, and he could feel her heart racing as he pressed her against the wall of the elevator, his free hand sliding along her waist. Her hands ran up his chest and along his neck, knocking off his hat as both hands curled through his hair; he groaned when he felt the faint biotic pulse in her hands, her soft lips insistent as she met his tongue thrust-for-thrust.

_Oh god so soft... She tastes like honey and cinnamon. And a bit like that green stuff._

_This is the best day** ever.**_

* * *

**Shepard**

Juliet lay in bed, her hands behind her head as she gazed unseeing at her fish. She wasn't sure exactly when in the day she had decided to ignore her earlier decisions regarding Jeff and her dream, but she was rather glad she did. Maybe it was when she'd turned around after her drinking session with Chakwas and seen him standing there looking at her legs - again - or maybe it wasn't until he'd asked her about the dream that first time in the bar...

Shepard closed her eyes, her breath catching in her throat when she imagined the feel of his hands on her body, the taste of him. The elevator ride, normally a grueling event, had been all too short in the Commander's opinion. They had pulled apart when the doors opened, both flushed and a little breathless, and had made their way back onto the Normandy. Juliet could tell that Joker wanted to talk about... whatever this was...

_They stood just inside the airlock staring at each other, closer then was proper but neither inclined to increase the distance. Jeff opened his mouth as if to speak, but Juliet lifted a hand and pressed a finger against his lips, taking a half-step closer. She looked up at him and whispered, "Later. After we've both slept it off, we can figure out... whatever this is." She paused, staring up into his green eyes as his hands came up around her waist, pulling her against him in silent response to her words. She rested her hand against his chest and leaned up slightly, meeting his lips again in a tender kiss. Eventually, she pulled back and out of his arms with a wistful smile, murmuring, "Let me know if you still feel that way after the liquor wears off." With that, she blew him a kiss and made her way up to her cabin._

Shepard sighed and curled up under the blankets, hugging one of her pillows and thinking about her green-eyed pilot as she drifted off into a nightmare-free sleep.

* * *

_hehe, I told you there was more forward progress (in their relationship) in this chapter. I'm not positive, but I think I might skip ahead a bit in the next chapter (like to horizon maybe). Don't worry, if I do I'll put in a few flashbacks so you don't miss anything fun. :D_


	5. Daydreamer

_Finally here's five, fantastically full of flashbacks._

_And I can't remember what the word is for when you have a bunch of words starting with the same letter in a row like that, but yes, it was intentional. Anyway, here it is, enjoy. :D_

* * *

**Joker**

Joker sat in the mess, eating a rather delicious dinner concocted by Gardener while trying to suppress the urge to hum, smile incessantly, or laugh for no apparent reason. People had already noticed that he had been in a better mood then usual, and he didn't want to set off the rumor mill any more then he already had. He'd heard at least three different variations of the old, 'he's got a woman' rumor; he was thankful that none of them involved the Commander so far.

It had been a couple weeks since their date on the Citadel, and they were currently on their way to some planet called Horizon; he had tracked her down the very next day, clear-headed and completely sober after downing what felt like a gallon of water and a pot of coffee...

_They were on their way to Purgatory for the next recruit, and Joker absolutely had to talk to Shepard. He remembered every detail of the previous night on the Citadel, his head surprisingly clear after a good nights rest combined with coffee and a few glasses of water; there was no way Joker was going to be able to sit on the bridge for the next three hours watching the autopilot take them to the prison ship without speaking to her._

_He stood outside the door to the starboard observation deck, shifting his weight from foot to foot, trying to figure out what he would say; he knew she was in there, since he'd not only checked for her location when he was on the bridge, but he'd asked EDI to let him know if she moved while he was on his way..._

_Suddenly, the door swished open and he found himself staring into the beautiful, if startled, blue eyes of Commander Juliet Shepard. She blinked at him, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her features. A good five seconds passed as he stood there staring at her, still not sure what to say. The corner of her lips quirked upwards slightly and she tilted her head to one side, her voice vaguely teasing as she asked, "Was there something you needed Lieutenant?" Joker felt his pulse increase at her tone and phrasing, and he took a slow step towards her, backing her into the room. She kept pace, clearly undisturbed by his unusual behavior, though she did raise an eyebrow when he hit the lock on the door when it slid shut behind him._

_Joker kept advancing, backing her up to about the middle of the room before he reached out and pulled her against him, his lips finding hers easily as she melted into his arms, her fingers curling around the folds in his uniform. They stayed that way for a moment, rediscovering sensations from the alcohol-fueled night before in the revealing light of day... so to speak._

_Shepard pulled back, her pale cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkling. A little breathlessly, she said, "And here I thought you wanted to talk..."_

_Joker grinned, sliding into one of the chairs in front of the massive window, pulling her down into the chair on his left; she curled up in her seat, her head resting on his shoulder as he dropped his arm across her shoulders. "Oh, I do want to talk. I just wanted to make sure I was still allowed to do that first." She giggled, her left hand playing with the seams in his uniform. She stretched up and kissed the side of his neck, whispering, "Yes, you are definitely still allowed to do that, just about whenever you'd like, actually."_

_He closed his eyes briefly, shivering at the touch of her lips and breath on his neck; he paused, then turned to look down at her, a puzzled look in his green eyes. "Why?"_

_Juliet smiled faintly, seeming to understand the myriad connotations of his question; she turned to stare out the window at the open expanse of space as she considered her answer._

_"I suppose that's a fair question... after all, we weren't exactly what you'd call close on the old Normandy." She paused, then said with a smirk in her voice, "That's not to say that I didn't see how you looked at me back then..." Joker sputtered, glad she was still staring out the window so she couldn't see him blushing like a schoolboy. She giggled at him, then murmured, "It's not that I wasn't interested then... it's just, it was too complicated, I thought. Alliance regs, and the hunt for Saren, and I was a new Spectre and I thought we were all going to die most of the time... And then we defeated Sovereign and I thought I had plenty of time... that I could take it slow and figure out if there was something really there..."_

_He tightened his arm around her, capturing her fingers with his right hand as she asked, "Do you know what I thought of, when I was floating out there watching the Normandy burn around me?" He swallowed hard, not wanting to think about the time when she was gone, of her death. She glanced briefly at him and he just shook his head, not quite able to speak._

_There was another long pause, then she said in a calm, somewhat matter-of-fact tone, "I had about four seconds after my air vented. Did you know that in the seconds before you die, your thoughts can move like quicksilver, every sensation heightened? I think it's a reflex... the body's last ditch effort to save itself..." She hesitated, her fingers curling through his as she thought about what she wanted to say._

_"I wasted that first second trying to calculate exactly how much time I had left. Stupid mistake... The second second, I was thinking about the crew, how I was sure Ashley would have gotten almost everyone off. That third second, I felt grief for everyone I was leaving behind to deal with the Reapers. I remember hoping you'd all pull through without me..." She paused again, and Joker found himself gripping her hand, his mind vaguely numb at the thought of counting the last four seconds of your life. Seconds. Not minutes, but seconds. He closed his eyes again, almost afraid for when she would start speaking again..._

_Juliet's voice was soft and she turned in his arms to look up at him, her hand moving up to touch his cheek, turning his face towards her. "My last second, I thought about the man I'd just saved, about how he always seemed to know what to say to cheer me up or make me laugh, about how the only regret I had was that I didn't have more time." She kissed the corner of his mouth, and he opened his eyes to stare down at her with amazement in his eyes as she whispered, "And the first time I woke up in that Cerberus facility, I could swear I saw you, your green eyes looking at me... but it was just an after image, left over from the explosion I guess. It was months before I even knew if you'd made it, before I got a second chance..."_

_She shivered and he leaned down, brushing a kiss across her forehead. He started, "Shepard..." but she cut him off. "No... Please don't call me that. I don't want to be 'Commander' to you, or even 'Shepard' like I am for Garrus and a few others..." He smiled briefly, his heart racing as he considered the implications of everything she'd just told him. _

_Shaking his head and deciding to follow her lead and make the most out of his own second chance, he whispered, "Juliet... I... I'm in love with you. I've been in love with you, I think, since that first horribly awkward conversation after you took over command of the old Normandy and I practically yelled at you about my condition. You didn't look at me with pity, or disgust like some people. You just apologized for making me uncomfortable, asked your questions, then told me to carry on with my duties while you went to do your rounds. And you kept coming back to talk to me, as if I hadn't shouted you down the first time we had a real conversation..." Joker shook his head again, chuckling at the memory. "I realized right then that you were special, and I felt like such an ass. I mean, what sort of idiot yells at his sexy new CO on her first day, especially when that new CO is the first human Spectre who knows like a thousand ways to incapacitate or kill me with a minimum of effort?"_

_Shepard snickered at him, her blue eyes sparkling as she stared up at him. "That is an excellent question. I think it might be the charming, devastatingly handsome, lovable kind, which is my personal favorite kind of idiot." He flushed slightly at the compliment, not sure how to respond to such a statement when it didn't come out of his own mouth... She smirked and stretched up, her lips brushing against his as she asked, "So you love me huh? Was that so hard?" He grinned and pulled her into a kiss, his hand running up through her hair..._

Joker blinked, coming out of his reverie when a sharp taloned finger poked him in the chest. "What, what!? Ow, no jabbing, I'm delicate." He rubbed his chest in mock-pain, a faint smirk on his face as he looked at the turian across from him.

Garrus, who had been sitting across from Joker at the table for about five minutes trying to get the pilots attention, snickered briefly and said, "I said Shepard hasn't been down for dinner yet, and since you were the only one not paying attention when we were voting, you got nominated to bring some up to her."

Joker rolled his eyes, faking resignation when inside he was rejoicing. "Fine fine, I'll bring the overlord her dinner. It hardly seems fair sending the cripple to do all that walking though."

Garrus snorted, his mandible twitching in amusement. "It's approximately three extra steps out of the elevator to her door. I'm sure you can make it if you try really hard. Maybe she'll even pat you on the head."

Joker chuckled and pulled himself out of his chair, going over to Gardener to get Shepard's plate.

_Ahaha! An excuse to visit during the day!_

_Oh dear god try not to hum on your way into the elevator._

_What about__** in**__ the elevator?_

_Who cares about in the elevator? The AI already knows and it is clearly not squawking... It's the only one that would hear any ridiculous humming._

The pilot stepped into the elevator, tray in hand, doing his best to look annoyed by the chore. He hit the button for Shepard's cabin, somehow managing to wait til the door was closed before letting the grin spread across his face. His mind drifted as he waited for the faint swish of the doors opening, remembering the last - and first - time he'd been up to 'the loft'...

_Joker was furious. He was pacing back and forth in the elevator, willing it to go faster before he punched something and broke all the bones in his hand; they had only been off Korlus for an hour when Shepard decided to open the tank with the 'pureblood-krogan warrior' in it. He hadn't witnessed it himself, but with a little pressing, the AI had given him a very exacting play-by-play of the event, and apparently the Commander had nearly gotten herself killed. Again. Who cares that she'd managed to talk down another furious krogan and get them on her side? She was __**not**__ allowed to die again._

_The pilot limped quickly out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened, moving over to Shepard's cabin door and taking a deep breath. Yeah, he was angry, but it would do no good to go in shouting; she was too wily for that._

_He hit the button, waited patiently for the AI to tell Shepard who it was, and then he moved into the room when the doors slid open. He didn't see her right away, being to busy taking in the unusual shape and decor of the captain's cabin. The giant-sized aquarium was a surprise, as was the lonely ship model in the display case. Joker bit his lip when he recognized the distinctive shape of the model; the Normandy SR-1... Joker shook his head and moved tentatively into the room, leery now that he realized she must be in the side of the room with the massive bed in it; moving slowly down the steps, he glanced to his right and saw her. _

_She was curled up in the corner of the couch, her lower half coccooned in blankets, holding a holo-novel; her top half was garbed in a thin, oversized white t-shirt with a wide scooped neckline, and she was smiling at him. He frowned when he saw her, taking in the bruises on her neck from her encounter with the krogan. She tilted her head to one side, noting his expression and the tension in his stance. Shepard hesitated a moment, putting down her reading material, a faint flickering in her blue eyes as she saw him staring at her neck. Then she said, "So I imagine that a certain nosey AI gave you a play-by-play, correct?" She waited for his stiff nod. God, he wanted to yell at her, but he wasn't sure exactly __**what **__he wanted to yell at her yet, so he let her talk. "Did she happen to mention that the entire time I was pinned against the wall I had a heavy pistol trained on his rather lightly armored belly? Or that my other hand was glowing blue because the biotic push I was holding back had enough force to launch him through the bulkhead into the drive core?"_

_Joker blinked, realizing she knew exactly why he was here and that, assuming she was telling the truth - and he had no reason to think otherwise - then she had been in exactly zero danger in that room with the krogan. He blushed, realizing all his blustering in the elevator was for nothing, and now he was in her room. Alone with her. And she was grinning._

_"Sorry if I spoiled what I am sure was going to be a fantastic rant, full of witty remarks and clever insults..." Shepards voice was low as she spoke, an amused smirk playing about her lips. Sighing, Joker shrugged, "Oh, don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll give me plenty of __**actual**__ reasons to get to yell at you. Eventually. Maybe." He stared at her, wondering absently what sort of pants she had on under that blanket... maybe those tight legging things that looked so fantastic..._

_Shepard shifted slightly in her little nest, one hand pulling loose from the blankets to touch the bruises on her neck. "You know... My throat is a little sore. I might need someone to kiss it better for me." Joker snickered and shook his head, folding his arms across his chest as he said, "Oh no. I'm on to you, and I am immune to your wily charms."_

_She smirked at him and tilted her head to one side, her hair falling down across her shoulder. "Is that so? You want to maybe make it interesting? Play a little game, make a little bet, perhaps?"_

_"Maybe... what did you have in mind, exactly? We certainly wouldn't want the rumors to spread that the cripple took all the Commander's credits..." She grinned at him and shook her head. "I was thinking something a little easier to keep track of... say, dinner for two, courtesy of whoever loses?" Joker squinted at her, not quite sure what she was planning but somehow positive that it was going to be evil and wonderful at the same time. In some way, at least. "What's the game?" he asked, one eyebrow raised as he adjusted the brim of his hat so it sat higher on his head._

_"How about a nice simple game... Your goal? Don't touch me for ten minutes." She had an evil gleam in her eyes. Joker wasn't sure where the catch was, but he was willing to play along and find out. In his usual cocky tone he said, "That's it? Bring it on, Commander." She licked her lips and lifted her face slightly as she addressed the AI. "EDI?" "Yes, Commander?" "When I stand, please lock the door to my cabin and do not unlock it until I say so, and begin a timer of ten minutes. When the timer is done, please notify me. And lower the lights to twenty-five percent." Joker felt his nervousness surge back up to the front of his mind. Why did she need the door locked?_

_There was a brief pause as the lights dimmed, the room taking on a blue tint as the light from the aquarium took up some of the slack, and then the glowing blue ball disappeared with, "Very well, Commander."_

_Joker stood there at the base of the short steps, his arms folded across his chest as he waited for the game to start. The look in Shepard's eyes said that maybe he should have asked about rules... oh well, too late now. Juliet stood slowly, the blankets slithering off her legs as she stepped gracefully out of the pillowy cocoon._

_Oh dear god, she's got no pants on. Those are bare legs. Long, bare legs. Long, smooth, bare legs. It's just a long t-shirt dress thing..._

_Long? Long?! It's mid-thigh. Mid. Thigh. That is her thigh. You are __**so **__going to owe her dinner by minute... six. Tops._

_Shepard took a dainty step towards him, and Joker's breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening slightly as he asked nervously, "Uhm... What are you doing?" Smirking mischievously, she murmured in a husky voice, "You should have asked about the rules, Lieutenant. You can't touch me. Doesn't mean I can't touch you... Just keep your hands and lips to yourself and you'll be fine, right? 'Bring it on' wasn't it?" She stepped closer, her face tilted down slightly as she looked up at him through thick black lashes, her hair shadowing half her face in a glossy veil. Joker backed up until he felt the cool glass of the aquarium against his back, his eyes fixed on the slender woman as she stopped a few inches away, not quite touching him. He gazed down at her and dropped his hands to his sides, swallowing hard at the look in her dark blue eyes. _

_Crap._

_What are you complaining about? This is win win dude._

_Yeah but..._

_Yeah but what?_

_Well, she'll never let me live it down if I don't hold out for the full ten..._

_Yeah, real horrible. Right. Did you see the legs?_

_She tilted her head to one side again and raised on her toes while leaning forward, her lips grazing along his throat, her breath warm against his skin. He shivered, his eyes fixed on the curve of her neck, fascinated by the way the light from the tanks behind him was dancing across her pale skin, the bruises all but invisible in the bluish light; she lifted her hands slowly, gently pulling his hat off and dropping it on the steps to her left. She ran her fingers through his hair, her fingertips pulsing with biotic energy against his scalp. Joker closed his eyes and started running flight algorithms through his head, determined to to make it through what was sure to be a tortuously long ten minutes._

_Shepard trailed her fingers down the sides of his neck, her hands running slowly across his chest; he could feel his heart pounding as he tried to think of anything besides the half-naked woman in front of him and the vanilla-spice scent of her hair. She nibbled on his earlobe gently, her hands tracing patterns on his abdomen, and whispered, "You know, you never did ask me what that dream was about..."_

_Joker made it to around minute five. He had managed to block out the feel of her hands in his hair, the press of her against his chest as he leaned on the aquarium, how her legs shifted against his as she stood on her toes, even the warmth of her breath - and occasionally lips - on his neck.... but then she started to murmur slowly in a husky tone, going into great detail describing the dream that had sent her onto his bridge the night before their first date. Voicing a low growl in the back of his throat, his hands came up of their own volition and grabbed handfuls of the oversized t-shirt she was wearing, pulling her tight against him as he leaned down and kissed her possessively, tongue sweeping into her mouth. Joker swallowed her faint giggle, her arms curling around his neck as he spun them around, pressing her back against the cool glass of the aquarium as he kissed her, his hands sliding up under her shirt..._

Joker flinched when EDI popped up next to him in the elevator. "Mister Moreau, the elevator has reached its destination. You have been standing in place for approximately a minute and a half. Please exit the elevator or select another destination." He coughed and practically ran out of the elevator, annoyed and a little embarrassed to be caught daydreaming by the damned AI.

He hit the button to open the door - the Commander had given him clearance to enter after his last visit - and stepped in, immediately seeing Shepard sitting at her private terminal. Her hair was in it's usual tight bun and she was wearing her Alliance-style fatigues. She still refused to wear anything with Cerberus' logo on it... She turned to him with a distracted smile.

"Hey. Ooo, is that dinner? Fantastic, I'm starved." She reached out for it but he held it just out of reach with a smirk, murmuring, "Oh no, there is a price for room service..."

Shepard snickered and snapped out a hand as she stood, grabbing a handful of his shirt before he could back away; pulling him towards her, she kissed him in a lingering fashion, lightly nipping at his lower lip when she finally pulled back. She whispered, "Tip paid, now gimme."

Distracted as he was by her proximity and the taste of her on his lips, Joker managed a grin and produced the tray of food with a flourish, putting it down on her desk as she slid back into her chair. He glanced at the terminal and saw she was looking over the details of the planet they were heading for. "Well, I'd better get back to the bridge before people start to talk." Shepard nodded slightly, her eyes drifting over to her terminal.

Her voice low and somewhat troubled, she said, "Yeah... probably a good idea..." He hesitated at the door, noting the tension in her shoulders but not sure what to do about it. She turned and looked at him, blue eyes worried, "_He _said Ash is on this planet we're heading for... Horizon. Get us there as quickly as possible, ok? I've got a bad feeling about this."

Suddenly understanding, and knowing who _'he' _was when she said it in that tone, he nodded, trying to convey confidence as he said, "We'll be there before you know it. Don't worry, everything will be ok." He was rewarded for his meager efforts with a smile, some of the tension leaving her shoulders as she picked up a fork and blew him a kiss. "Thanks Jeff. See you in a few hours." He flashed her a grin as he left her cabin, already thinking of ways he could shave their time to Horizon...

* * *

_I think I may do the next chapter from Shepards POV since this one sort of morphed into Joker-time. (Oops I guess? No not really, who doesn't love more Joker-time? :D)_


	6. Horizon

_Sorry for the delay, I hit a bit of writers block when it came time to describe the fighting bits (I ended up skipping over a bunch of it)... Gun battles are less fun to describe (for me anyway) then say, sword fights. But whatever. And yes, I know in ME2 vanguards do not have warp, but they have it in ME1 so I'm sure you'll forgive my creative license. :P_

* * *

**Shepard**

Commander Shepard peered around the crate she was crouched behind, her shotgun at the ready; just ahead, she saw the cruelly beautiful Jack lob a ball of biotic energy at the bug-like collectors a few hundred yards ahead, the warp field tearing through its shields. The young biotic had been subdued since Pragia, and had even taken to wearing a shirt - a tight black leather shirt, but still a shirt - and Shepard was glad to give the girl the opportunity to do some venting. She heard Garrus over the comm, saying, "Got your six, Shepard," and she took his cue to dart out from behind her cover, vaulting over a broken crate as she launched herself at the nearest collector, a blue nimbus surrounding her. If the things could show emotion, she imagined it would look surprised as she shot it at point-blank range with her shotgun, the sound of a sniper rifle ringing out as another collector fell off to her left.

Shepard let out a breath as the last collector fell, then signaled for Garrus to scout ahead; so far, Horizon was turning out to be a bit of a mess. Aside from the occasional comment from her squad, the comm was eerily silent, and they'd been fighting collectors for what felt like hours without seeing any sign of the colonists. They had lost contact with the Normandy shortly after leaving the shuttle; she didn't want to admit it, but she was feeling a bit off without the running commentary from her sarcastic pilot in her ear. Since Omega, they had run missions with all comm channels open, and it had saved them on more then one occasion. The silence was... unwelcome.

_Goddamnit focus, Juliet. You're Commander Shepard for gods sake, you can go an hour or two without his voice in your ear._

_Just kill these bastards, save the day, be a big damn hero. Again._

_And Ash is supposed to be here... shit, I hope she's ok..._

Shepard crept into a prefab building, directing Jack to check out the one across the walkway; there were trays of food, undisturbed, coffee still steaming in the mugs. She picked up a data pad, frowning when she found that someone had been interrupted mid-sentence in a personal log. The Commander looked up as Garrus' voice came over the comm again, "Shepard, you'd better get up here. I think I've found the colonists." Suddenly tense as she registered her friends tone, the vanguard moved quickly out of the building, Jack falling into step behind her without a word. They came around a corner and found Garrus standing next to what looked like a statue; the colonist was cowering next to an open doorway, his eyes the only part of him that could still move. Shepard shared a look with Garrus and Jack, then turned to the paralyzed colonist, "Stay calm. I'm Commander Shepard, and I'm going to do everything I can to stop the ones who attacked here..." His eyes fixed on her when she spoke, but there was no response beyond that.

Shaking her head, Shepard turned to her squad and muttered, "Come on, double time. We're not letting them get away this time."

_...several skirmishes and one mechanic later_

They came up to a massive door, the holopad indicating that it was locked. Shepard said, "Garrus, get that door open," as she turned to look back the way they came, watching for trouble. The collectors kept swooping in from above, and she wasn't planing on taking any chances. The meeting with Delan had been enlightening. Williams was on this planet, and the GARDIAN turrets just needed their targeting systems repaired for full functionality.

_Perfect job for EDI... assuming we can get the comm back online._

_Delan said there was a communications tower up ahead. I'm sure Garrus can patch us through._

The door swished open and Shepard spun, quickly slipping ahead of her squad. The wide field was scattered with large crates, the comm tower in the center; in the background, Shepard could see the massive collector vessel. Moving quickly, the three set out through the maze of tipped shipping containers, weapons at the ready, somehow making it to the tower unscathed; Shepard scanned the area, her instincts telling her that trouble was on the way.

She murmured, "Garrus..." The turian nodded moved to the console, hands flashing across the buttons as he tried to bring up communications.

They heard Joker, his voice sounding more then a little frantic as the comms finally crackled to life. "Come on... _*static* _Normandy to shore party, do you read me?! Please tell me that's you, Commander!"

Shepard closed her eyes briefly, glad to hear the pilot's voice again, frantic or otherwise. "We're here Joker. EDI, can you bring the turrets online?" There was a pause, then the calmly feminine voice spoke up, "Yes Commander, flaws in the GARDIAN lasers targeting parameters are easily rectified, however it will take several minutes for me to route power to them. The power fluctuations will not go unnoticed. I suggest you ready weapons, as you will need to defend the communications tower." The channel went quiet as the AI went to work.

_...fifty or so husks later_

Garrus peered cautiously over a crate, waiting for the next wave of collectors as the Commander smoothed some medi-gel over a wide gash on Jack's arm. The young biotic was sweating and cursing under her breath, but she immediately took up her shotgun when Shepard moved away. She muttered, "If I die down here, I'm coming back to haunt you Shepard."

The Spectre grinned, "I'm counting on it. Who else is going to help me blow up Cerberus when we're done with all this?" Jack snickered and launched a ball of blue energy around some crates, throwing a lonely collector across the field to slam into the side of a building.

EDI broke the short silence, saying, "Commander, there is a large bio-synthetic life-form approaching your position. My scans indicate that this is a type of collector we have not seen yet. I recommend caution." She paused, then said, "I am bringing the turrets online now."

"Good work EDI," Shepard murmured, her eyes scanning the sky for the new threat as the massive turrets above spun and began firing at the collector ship. Suddenly, the air was rent with a piercing shriek and a large glossy black beetle-shaped monster surrounded by a faint purple glow came flying over one of the pre-fab buildings, a orange-yellow beam spearing towards Shepard's cover. Reflexively, the squad scattered, Jack and Garrus moving in opposite directions and getting distance on the collector. Shepard wasn't surprised that it seemed to be targeting her; the glowing collectors had even said her name.

Her back pressed firmly against the large crate, Shepard moved carefully around it as the bettle-thing circled her. "Garrus, Jack, you know the drill. Burn through that barrier, and fast, I can't dodge forever." At her words, a massive warp field came flying towards the collector from the direction the biotic had run; it sizzled into the creatures side, but it kept it's focus on Shepard, the yellow beam dying down momentarily. She took the opportunity to dart away, getting some distance and launching herself over another crate just as the beam refocused, another warp flying in and the sound of an assault rifle drowning out the high-pitched whine.

Readying her shotgun, Shepard closed her eyes briefly and gathered energy for a warp of her own, launching it straight up into the air with a flick of her wrist, causing it to arch gracefully towards the collector, hitting it in it's glowing yellow eyes with a violent hiss.

Finally, the blue energy field flickered out, the strange beam faltering again; she could hear her squad unloading on the thing as it floated slowly towards her, and she ducked out of cover opened fire herself, focusing as best she could on the gently bobbing 'face' of the thing. Almost instantly, the beam speared out again, striking a glancing blow on her shoulder as she fell back behind cover with a pained grunt.

_Damn... that thing blew right through my shields._

_Maybe it's time to fight fire with fire._

Wincing at the faint burn in right arm, Shepard swapped her trusty shotgun for the strange collector rifle they'd picked up.

"Jack, see if you can soften it up for me a little, I'm going to give it a taste of it's own medicine." Another ball of pulsing biotic energy flew over the nearby crates, striking the collector in the side, and on cue, the beam flickered out. Wasting no time, Shepard stood and let loose with the strange rifle, a narrow yellow beam shooting forth directly at the massive collector. Shepard backed up as she fired, maintaining the connection as she sought cover further away; the rifle seemed to be working, leaving oozing scorch marks on her foe's carapace. She noticed a faint flicker around the collector and dove behind another crate, this time taking a hit to her leg as the beam fired up again.

Shepard fell back, swearing profusely and gritting her teeth as she dragged her self further into cover. "Garrus, get this thing off me. That beam keeps tearing through my shields." She noticed a slight increase in fire from both the shotgun and the assault rifle; hearing the faint whine die away, the Commander shook her head grimly and ducked out of cover again, limping slightly as she fired the collector rifle at the creature. Finally, it lurched sideways in the air, it's shell cracking open under the constant fire; the collector hit the ground with a loud crash, the glow in it's eyes fading.

_Shit. I hope we don't face too many more of these things..._

The Commander swapped back to her shotgun and made her way back over to the communication tower, glancing up to see the the turrets still firing; Garrus and Jack fell into step behind her as she moved towards the large building at the end of the field, hoping to find more colonists. And Ashley Williams. Suddenly, the collector vessel shuddered and began to take off, causing a massive shock wave as it rose with a plume of black smoke.

_No! No no no oh god how many did they get?_

_Failed. I failed. Again. Goddamnit!_

Shepard stared up at the ship with dismay, silently cursing herself. She turned with a start when the mechanic they met earlier ran up with a pained wail.

"No! Don't let them get away! Half the colony's in there. They took Egan and Sam and... and Lilith. Do something!"

The Commander did her best to console the man, and herself. "There's nothing we can do. They're gone. I'm sorry. I didn't want it to end this way, I did what I could." Behind her, Garrus murmured, "You did more then most, Shepard."

Delan whipped around, recognition flickering in his eyes as he said, "Shepard? Wait, I know that name. Sure, I remember you. You're some type of big Alliance hero."

Before she could respond, a smooth female voice interjected from behind some crates as a familiar figure in white and pink came around them to stand a few feet away from them. "Commander Shepard. Captain of the Normandy. The first human Spectre. Savior of the Citadel. You're in the presence of a god, Delan. Back from the dead..."

The mechanic muttered something and stalked off, but all Shepard could focus on was Ashley Williams, the woman who had been like a sister to her during the hunt for Saren.

_Oh thank god. She's here. She's ok, they didn't get her._

* * *

**Joker**

Joker sat in silence on the bridge, listening carefully over the open comm line, relieved that the fighting seemed to be over now that the collector ship was gone. He heard the mechanic yelling at Shepard to do something and started in surprise when he heard Ashley Williams voice.

"Commander Shepard. Captain of the Normandy. The first human Spectre. Savior of the Citadel. You're in the presence of a god, Delan. Back from the dead..."

_Shit yeah! About time we got some good news._

_They were like sisters on the old Normandy. Seeing Ash safe and sound should ease some of the tension around here._

"I thought you were dead, Commander. We all did," the Operations Chief's voice was practically humming with tension, and Joker narrowed his eyes, intuition telling him that something bad was about to happen. _Shit. _He could hear the faintly nervous twinge in Shepard's voice when she asked, "You don't look too happy to see me, Ash. Something wrong?"

"You're damn right something's wrong. You show up after two years and act like nothing's happened? I would have followed you anywhere, Commander. I thought you were gone... I... you were more then our Commander, you were like one of my own sisters! Why didn't you try to contact me? Why didn't you let me know you were alive?"

_What the shit? Did she just...?_

_Does she think Shepard was like, alive, this whole time? Is she __**stupid**__?!_

Joker gripped the arms of his chair, listening as Shepard tried to explain, "I was out for two years. You've moved on with your career and your life, and your files were sealed..."

"I moved on... but here you are, pulling me back in. And now we've got reports about you and Cerberus." He heard the anger in Garrus' voice when he snapped, "Reports? You mean you already knew?"

"Alliance intel said Cerberus could be behind our missing colonies. We got a tip that this one could be the next to get hit. I went to Anderson, but he wouldn't talk. But there were rumors that you weren't dead. Worse; that you were working for the enemy," Ashley's voice was chilly as she spoke, and Joker gritted his teeth.

Shepard spoke again, her voice calm as she continued to attempt to reason with her old friend, "Our colonies are disappearing. The Alliance turned it's back on them and we sure as hell weren't about to get any help from the Council. Cerberus is the only group willing to do something about it."

Ashley's voice snapped out, her anger evident, "Bullshit!** I **know what Cerberus is like. They talk about putting humans first, but at what cost? I wanted to believe that you were alive... I just never expected anything like this. You've turned your back on everything we stood for. You've betrayed the Alliance. And me."

_Oh no she did not just say that._

_If I was down there I'd... I'd... probably break my arm on her stupid face._

_Juliet is going to rip her face off. How dare she imply she knows Cerberus better then the Commander! Ash knows their history!_

_She called her a traitor. I'm going to shoot her if nobody beats me too it._

Joker was surprised when Shepard's voice remained calm, though he could hear the faint waver in it, something nobody else likely noticed. "Ash, you know me. You know I'd only do this for the right reason. You saw it yourself. The collectors are targeting human colonies. And they're working with the reapers."

"I'd like to believe you, Shepard, but I don't trust Cerberus. And it worries me that you do. What did they do to you? What if they're behind it? What if they're the ones working with the collectors?" Williams snapped, her voice harsh over the comm. Again Garrus spoke up, his flanging voice low and menacing as he defended his friend, "Damn it Williams, you're so focused on Cerberus that you're ignoring the real threat!"

Shepard spoke up again, her voice smooth as she tried once more time to get through to the woman she once called sister, "You're letting how you feel about their history get in the way of the facts."

There was a pause, and Joker hoped she was finally going to see reason, until she said, "Doesn't matter... I still know where **my** loyalties lie. I'm an Alliance soldier. It's in my blood. I'm reporting back to the Citadel. I'll let them decide if they believe your _story_." Finally, Shepard's composure cracked as she snorted in derision, her voice just as cold as Ashley's had been. "We both know how that's going to turn out. The Alliance will try to blame Cerberus. Just like you did."

Ashley's voice was quieter, like she had moved away, when she replied, "With good reason. Cerberus can't be trusted. So long, Commander. Good luck."

Joker swallowed hard, not sure what he could say, or if he even should say anything after what had just happened. There was a long pause and then Shepard spoke into the comm, her voice smooth - if slightly bitter - as she slid into her Commander role, "Joker, send the shuttle to pick us up. I've had enough of this colony."

* * *

_I was going to make this one longer, but I figured it was better to get this up sooner rather then later. I'm working on the aftermath, should be easier going then this. (Due to lack of gunfights.)_


End file.
